I sometimes keep a ladder in the back of my car to give me a different perspective when shooting. It came in handy while driving through Hermon for this photo where I was able to clean up the background, get a nice expression and use the shadows to my advantage.

Caption: Jason A. Hollenbeck, 8, Ogdensburg, son of Mary McBroom, prepares to launch a basketball toward the hoop Sunday outside a house at 113 Church St. in Hermon.

While on an assignment to photograph a retired St. Lawrence University professor I saw this grey squirrel dangling from a suet holder outside the kitchen window. Often the best features can be found when you're not even looking for them.

Every year high school graduations are fun, visual events to cover. I framed this trumpet player, dressed in his cap and gown, between a violin and another trumpet before he played in the school band and graduated that evening.

Caption: Potsdam Central School's Cody W. Mitchell practices his trumpet Friday prior to playing with the band during his own commencement ceremony at SUNY Potsdam's Hosmer Hall.

It is often believed that Amish people don't like to have their picture taken. I try to limited how often I photograph them for this very reason. However, it seems that some Amish people don't care either way, they just can't give you permission. I photographed this man walking through a tomato field in Norwood and I didn't think he was going to give me his name for my caption, but he was very friendly and had no problem giving me his name for the photo.

Caption: Jacob S. Graber, walks through a tomato field at 7789 State Hwy. 56 in Norwood Tuesday, laying down tomato hoops that he will use to help create a covering for the tomatoes during this early growing season.

Photojournalism is often about capturing emotional situations that give viewers an idea of the magnitude of an event. The beauty of photojournalism is the idea that we capture true moments in time, slices of life, both good and bad.

Caption: Alyssa J. Rupert, a student at Heuvelton High School, reacts after hitting an elderly woman with her car Tuesday along Washington st. in Ogdensburg.

This photo won second place in the portrait and personality category in the New York State Associated Press Photo Contest in 2009.

I was assigned to photograph Louise, who is the sustainability coordinator for St. Lawrence University. I started in the greenhouse but I was unhappy with the results so we moved down the hall using florescent light bulbs and a large leafy plant to help illustrate her role on campus. Props can really help to illustrate a story.

Caption: Louise E. Gava, the sustainability coordinator for St. Lawrence University, poses for a portrait with a handful of fluorescent light bulbs at the university.

My experience with turkeys is that they generally run the other direction when you approach them, so I was rather surprised when these Bourbon Red turkeys walked toward me with no fear. The sun was setting and these two turkey heads lined up nicely for a photo at 36 County Route 34 in Potsdam on Jan. 27, 2009.

I was driving around looking for feature photos one day and I found this apple orchard that allows you to pick your own apples. It was starting to sprinkle but these young apple pickers were motivated, using a stick to help them collect apples that were out of their reach.

CAPTION:

From left, Caleb M. Bowman, 4, and Nathan A. Bowman, 3, sons of Michael A. and Kelly L. Bowman, use a stick to try and knock apples out of a tree at an orchard at 1538 County Rd. 25 On Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008.

It takes a lot of patience to wait for ice fishermen to catch a good fish. I spent some time with these guys in their ice shanty and when their tip-up flew into the air, I went running out after them to see if anything was on their line. I just like the separation of the fish head from the two fishermen, the cigarette in Regan's mouth and the water flying off of the fishtail.

CAPTION:

Jonathan W. Capone, Norwood, left, and Andrew J. Regan, Norwood, pull a northern pike fish out of the icy water at Coles Creek State Park in Waddington Friday, Dec. 19, 2008.

I spent some time looking at the West Dam in Potsdam, photographing workers as they moved back and forth along the dam. Then I saw the foreground element that said "cat" and it seemed to provide a nice window view at the man on the dam. He's no model, but I guess it's still a catwalk.

CAPTION:

Dan W. Rice, Theresa, an employee of Sheehan Mechanical in Watertown, walks along the West Dam in Potsdam on Tuesday, NOV. 11, 2008 while installing a 2" stainless steel air line that will help to control water flow once the West Dam Hydroelectric Project is complete.

Often we are given assignments with very little going on and in these situations we generally shoot some sort of portrait to illustrate the story. Jacob, a young bass fisherman, had several stuffed fish on his family's wall that were used to make this picture with the light from a window providing all the light I needed.

CAPTION:

Jacob A. Love, 8, poses for a portrait with two stuffed bass at his home in Ogdensburg. He recently won the Northeastern Bassmaster CastingKids Competition and he followed that up with a 3rd place finish in National Bassmaster CastingKids Competition, winning a $1,500 scholarship.

I just like the body language from this moment on a soccer field this fall. The background is pretty clean and I love the hair whipping through the air.

CAPTION:

Massena's Nyssa Laclair, left, gets wrapped up with Cortland's Casey Marks during Massena's loss at Potsdam High School on Saturday.

This is the best Halloween costume I have ever seen, a baby dressed as a lobster in a pot. I wish my parents' had dressed me up as a lobster. I also like the orange pumpkins playing off of the orange lobster suit.

CAPTION:

Trenton W. Johnson, 3 months, son of Peter C. Johnson and Sabrina M. Hance, dressed as a lobster in a pot, is suspended in midair by his father at the Ogdensburg Chamber of Commerce pumpkin carving and costume contest held at the Dobisky Visitor Center in Ogdensburg on Oct. 27, 2008.

It was a blisteringly cold day and I was rushing through Massena on my way to an assignment, but these workers caught my eye in front of the Massena High School. I started shooting this with the sun at my back, but I'm glad I thought to shoot it into the sun so as to mimic glow of the sun with the glow of the welding torch.

CAPTION:

The sun sets behind Mark F. Hawkins, an employee at Hayward Barker, as he welds cages for the foundation of an extension to the Massena High School on Monday outside the school.

After walking around St. Joseph's home looking for a good picture, I found Katherine attending a physical therapy class. In an attempt to create a more interesting image, I used the wheelchair in the foreground as a layering tool, the arm of the chair stretching out the same as Katherine.

CAPTION:

Katherine H. Touron, 91, attends her daily Physical Therapy session with Alison W. Alguire on Thursday at St. Joseph's home in Ogdensburg. Proposed cuts in state Medicaid could threaten nursing homes such as St. Joseph's.

I received a call from our Canton bureau telling me that there was a hazmat team at the former Louisville Elementary School. I quickly rushed out there. I was told that the hazmat team would be entering the decontamination line and I thought I would be able to make a good photo if I waited long enough. Sometimes patience is the key to making a good picture.

CAPTION:

Louisville Firefighters wash down a member of the St. Lawrence County Hazmat Team in a decontamination line on Tuesday outside the former Louisville Elementary School after entering the school to remove Sodium Hypochlorite. The Louisville Fire Dept. responded to a call they received at 8:15 a.m. on Dec. 16, 2008 after someone reported a gas leak.